


Waiting move

by Hazure



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:08:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28459512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazure/pseuds/Hazure
Summary: It seemed that they existed with only one purpose - to confront each other.*Translation in English of my fic "Выжидательный ход".





	Waiting move

This world could exist in two states - Order and Chaos. Order was a system, a guarantee of evolution and development, while Chaos was anarchy. And anarchy has always led to decline and decay. The choice is unambiguous, but in reality, the world often gravitated towards Chaos - because of its archaic designation. Therefore, sometimes it needed a strong hand to point the right direction. Even against it’s will.

Hux saw a such regularity in the First Order. The Republic has failed to bring stability to the Galaxy, either during its past reign or in its current one. Its democracy gave way to power to greedy rulers who pursued their petty interests, and therefore the conflict began to tear the system apart from the inside. It could result only in a crash. It had already happened once, and now everything was repeated anew. The New Republic was still unable to curb its own power and bring peace and prosperity to the Galaxy. Only the new Empire was able to do this.

Hux did not either take his appointment to the post for granted or as a great favor. It was his personal merit, which he achieved with his perseverance, impeccable military skills and determination. The best graduate of the Academy, a brilliant officer and unshakable army commander. The Supreme Leader trusted him, and Hux was not about to disappoint him.

And then Master Ren appeared aboard the Finalizer. Hux knew perfectly well why Snoke had sent him. He needed a loyal ally who would supply him with reliable information at first hand. Being under surveillance was not perceived by the young general as distrust on the part of the Supreme Leader. In the war, there was no place for such nonsense as unconditional trust. Everything had to be under absolute control for the hierarchy to function flawlessly. Hux, in Snoke's place, would not have left his commanders unattended either. The problem was with the Master himself.

Hux remembered the first meeting very well. The knight's shuttle flew into the hangar, and when the pressure and atmosphere in the compartment returned to normal, the general went out first to meet Snoke's confidant. The airlock opened, and the master boarded, accompanied by several stormtroopers - his escort. Hux saw what he had never expected to see. A tall figure, wrapped in a black shapeless robe, a hideous mask on his face. Why not a military uniform? Ridiculous. It was this word that came to Hux's mind in the first place, but, of course, he kept his opinion to himself.

\- Greetings, Lord Ren, - the general said in a clear voice.

The Master looked in his direction and stared at him for a very long time, without saying a word. And then he cocked his head to one side. In a way someone would look at a curious little animal in a cage. Then Kylo Ren straightened and walked to him at a leisurely pace. The knight leaned forward a little, like a predatory bird looking out for prey in the grass. It seemed to Hux that he was not very comfortable moving around in his layered attire.

The Master came up very close. Too close, violating any etiquette. One could feel body warmth through all layers of clothing. Hux didn’t like the closeness, but he hadn’t said anything yet. He almost backed away. Again, Lord Ren tilted his head to the side, examining the young face of the high-ranking officer. The mask reliably hid the expression on the Master's face, but for some reason the general was sure that it was simply curiosity. A priori, this knight in a loose overall did not like Hux, but the system of preferences did not work in the First Order. Only charter and subordination.

\- General Hux.

Ren's voice was very strange and it took Hux a second to realize that he had been altered by a modulator. What for? To be intimidating like this black outfit? Hux was not intimidated. Not at all. He was at a loss. But he looked at the knight directly and firmly. More precisely, into the cold metal of the mask.

\- The Supreme Leader has very high hopes for you, General. Try not to disappoint him. And me too. Otherwise, you will end up being the _ridiculous_ one. Dismiss, General.

And Lord Ren walked past him without a second glance. Only the air stirred by the foreign cloak washed over the general's face. Hux clenched his jaw and did not answer back. The Master's words felt like a slap to his face.

***

Hux was confused. He didn't know how to handle this person. It was like a miscalculation in strategy, an error in a precise computing device. The Master was not part of the Order. He was part of Chaos. Very harmonious Chaos, which was beyond human understanding.

Kylo Ren was not a soldier and did not obey military regulations. He was not Hux's subordinate, but he was not his superior either. He was out of the system, and yet his word on the Finalizer mattered as much as Hux's. And even more. The crew was afraid of Ren. They were very afraid. And Hux, abided by formalities, was in a state of constant internal conflict. Conditioning did not allow him to resist Snoke's right hand, and pride did not allow to obey implicitly a mentally unstable pup who had never even held a real weapon in his hands! Ren's attitude towards Hux himself remained incomprehensible to the general. He either ignored him, calmly agreed with his decisions, or almost made fun of him. Malice settled in the young general.

Both Snoke and Ren were adepts of so-called Force. This was beyond Hux's understanding of material concepts. Born in the last years of the reign of the Empire, he managed to hear many stories about the Force, Jedi and Sith, the Dark and Light side. Although most of these stories were true, they did not manage to capture Hux’ interest in the least. What can do some kind of metaphysical Force against army and space fleet? Against strategy and tactics? If the Jedi had true power, they would never have allowed the fall of the Republic, for which they shed blood for generations. Nevertheless, the Republic fell and the Jedi were destroyed. As well as the Sith. Hux knew that Emperor Palpatine was a Sith Lord himself and ruled alongside his loyal apprentice, Darth Vader. The Black knight still instilled terror in people, and he was spoken of only with awe. This name meant nothing to Hux. As the Force itself.

What this notorious Force was capable of, Hux learned very quickly. The Master used it every time, as soon as he lost his temper a little. As well as his laser sword. He did not hesitate to attack his own people and crash the ship in a fit of rage. The officers were shy in front of him and were afraid to approach the knight unnecessarily. Hux resented that this unrestrained Master had turned his team into a herd of frightened banthas. His internal protest grew, and the steel fetters of discipline did not allow him to lose his temper.

But one day they could not stand it when, after another outburst of anger, Ren killed an officer. It was inconceivable! Killing a valuable unit only to quench your rage like a cheap mercenary! This overflowed the general's patience.

Hux hurried to the command post. The frightened faces of the officers turned towards him, and this further threw the general off balance. Hux looked at the Master. He breathed heavily and rarely, trying to cope with his emotions that overwhelmed him. A dead body lay next to him. A wave of searing contempt overwhelmed Hux. And this ridiculous creature, who is not even able to curb his impulses, will command him?!

\- Ren! - shouted the general.

The Master turned slowly to him.

\- Get out, General, - his dark voice was saturated with threat.

But Hux was not going to obey him like a docile lackey. The flood of emotion dulled his sense of danger. Otherwise, he would have chosen words more carefully. However, the general had his limit of patience. Kylo crossed the line this time.

\- If anything Snoke was mistaken in, it was his choice of apprentice, - the general said, not hiding his contempt and anger. - You dishonor both the Order and your predecessor...

Kylo instantly leapt up like a deadly venomous snake and threw out his hand. Hux could not finish his tirade, because his throat tightened, preventing air from entering his lungs. He grabbed his neck, wheezing and trying unsuccessfully to inhale. Before his eyes, it began to darken rapidly.

Ren approached him slowly, watching the general's torment. He made a subtle movement with his hand, and Hux's body seemed to be paralyzed. He couldn't even move a finger. But the invisible grip on his throat loosened slightly, letting in a thin stream of life-giving oxygen. Enough to stay awake and not suffocate.

The Master was too close again. He was always too close. Even when he was not around, Hux always felt his invisible presence. It penetrated the skin, it was ... like air on the Finalizer. Hux hated this.

Kylo Ren bowed his head. It was his habit when he looked at the general. As if he had always been curious to know what this redheaded animal, trained by Snoke for his own purposes, could show. Hux could hear the knight's tense breathing. He was angry, very angry.

Ren grabbed him by the throat and pulled him towards him so that now the general practically squeezed into him. He squeezed his fingers together, and Hux felt like he couldn't breathe again. Kylo just stared at him, tightening his grip. Hux forced himself to look straight, to where Ren’s eyes would be on the other side of the mask. It was the rule - even when dying, look your opponent in the eye. Ren had clearly expected to see fear, but death was not enough to make the general shy. The fear was unacceptable. If you've shown fear, you've already lost. If you showed fear, then you were already dead. And Hux is not dead! He could still feel his heart beating, and the bastard Ren would never enjoy his fear in the end!

It all stopped in an instant. The merciless hand let go of him, and the body again obeyed his will. Hux sucked in a wheeze, feeling the salty taste in his mouth - Kylo must have hurt his throat. He could not stand straight, but he forced himself not to fall, bending over in front of the knight and burning him with a searing gaze from under his brows. Fresh blood ran on the general's teeth.

Ren clenched and unclenched his fists. And then he just left, leaving the injured general alone with his subordinates.

***

Hux was the only one on the Finalizer who wasn't afraid of Kylo. No, perhaps there was also captain Phasma, who often accompanied the Master on missions. Hux knew what Ren was capable of, so there was no point in being afraid of him. And it was not ostentatious bravado. With his endurance, he earned even more respect from his subordinates. And more often he caught Kylo's glances. Interested glances.

***

The general's cabin differed only in size and the presence of a console, which made it possible to keep in touch with all posts. No luxury could be seen here. No surplus.

It was night according to ship's time. But in space, time was just a convention. It was calculated by the distance traveled and the new shift. And yet, formally, the last quarter of the ship's cycle was considered night. Human factor.

Hux was on his own, and he spent his free time efficiently. Looking at the holographic screen, he looked over and over again from the last simulation. The bluish reflections of the projection fell on his face and cast shadows on the young face. Hux asked the computer to compute efficiency. Numbers ran across the screen. Ninety-seven percent. The effectiveness of a full-scale military operation was ninety-seven percent. Even less than the permissible error range. The result was great. But the general frowned. He ran the simulations over and over again and asked to include all the new parameters. The results have always been excellent. The exercise showed a high combat readiness and organization of his soldiers. But the general frowned anyway.

The door to his cabin opened, and Hux, busy with calculations, did not immediately notice that he was no longer alone.

The Master entered without asking and without permission. This was the first time he had disturbed the general's privacy in this way. Hux took only a quick glance in his direction and returned to his work.

\- Master Ren.

Only a slight hum broke the silence of the room. Kylo took a couple of steps toward him.

\- You are not asleep. It is already night.

Hux folded his arms across his chest, standing motionless in front of the screen. Reflections made his face look ghostly. He forgot to turn on the lights, so the cabin was dim.

\- There is neither day nor night in space, Master, - he replied quietly, not looking up from the diagrams on the screen.

The Master took a few more steps.

\- What are you doing, General? - asked Kylo Ren.

His voice sounded soft. Hux pursed his lips. Is Ren here just to chat?

\- These are the results of the last simulation. - The general satisfied his curiosity.

The Master did not answer, and Hux decided that Ren would just leave. But literally seconds later, he felt him behind his back. The knight radiated warmth. Again, he was unacceptably close. Hux did not like this. His personal space was private, and Ren violated it whenever he liked. In general, the Master violated all protocols of conduct with the starship commander. Hux felt he was being studied. How did he make Ren so curious? For the time being he just waited and let Kylo make his moves, memorizing his tactics and techniques. It was complicated. Ren did not calculate the moves, he acted spontaneously, although most of his decisions were very effective. This was a mystery to Hux. And he would be lying if he said that this Master did not interest him. He was a strong adversary who, although he pissed him off, inspired respect. During their joint command, Hux had seen more than a flighty teenager brandishing a laser sword.

A hand reached forward and touched the holographic screen, brushing against Hux's cheek. The general did not move. The computer showed the results of the calculations again.

\- The results are very good, general, - the Master said. - You yourself finalized the combat simulations? Then you can be proud of both your talents and the training of your soldiers.

\- None of this matters, - Hux interrupted.

He turned off the projector and for some reason took it in his hands, instead of leaving it on the table. When the only light went out, the cabin became dark. Only the flickering of the stars remained.

Hux walked over to the window. The nearest stars were so far away that they seemed to be subtle dots. Hux didn't bother remembering their names. That part of the Galaxy, where his gaze was directed, was its outskirts. Space slums.

\- Why not? - the Master's voice came from behind him.

Hux looked at the cold stars.

\- Because no simulation will ever replace real combat, - the general replied without turning around. - You cannot compare the decisions that the soldier makes on the battlefield with those that he makes while sitting in front of the computer. The reaction will always be different, the behavior will always be different. In front of the console, you know that there will always be a different simulation and you can perform better next time. There are no guarantees in war, there is only you and your skills. The system can calculate the error, but it cannot compute fear, doubt, uncertainty ...

Hux fell silent. And Ren approached again, standing behind him. The general exhaled barely perceptibly, feeling the warmth of the other one. Apparently, the Master has firmly established this place for himself - behind his right shoulder.

\- Did you take part in the battle? - Kylo asked, looking up at the stars. - In a real battle.

\- Yes. Even when I was a student of the Academy.

Ren's silence betrayed curiosity. Little by little, Hux was learning to feel his moods.

\- We participated in combat operations throughout the training. At first, they were staged, and then they were replaced by real ones. No theory could replace real war. Therefore, we all got our fair share of scars.

\- Our fair share of scars,- the Master repeated quietly.

Hux refrained from turning to face him.

\- Arkanis, - Ren said suddenly.

\- What?

The Master pointed his finger at a barely visible cluster of stars.

\- This sector. Arkanis is there. Your home planet.

Really. Only Hux didn’t understand why Ren was telling him all this. He did not understand his moves. So he decided to wait.

\- A distant planet on which there is more rain than sun...

Hux paused, waiting for Ren's reaction. The knight was silent, breathing evenly and measuredly. It seemed to the general that in the cosmic silence he could hear his heart beating.

Silence dragged on both...

\- Why did you come, Master? - Hux finally asked, walking over to the console.

Ren sighed.

\- Our intelligence has reported that a location has been found where the map with the coordinates of Luke Skywalker is hidden. It is on a planet called Jakku.

The general nodded, immediately gathering himself.

\- I will be waiting for you on the bridge in ten minutes, - he said to Ren.

The knight nodded as he left the cabin and finally turned around with a quick glance. The significance of which Hux never understood.


End file.
